Abstract:

The role of mobile learning has significantly developed in recent years leading to the active use of mobile devices in a language classroom at tertiary level. Within the framework of the present research, mobile learning is regarded as the use of ubiquitous handheld technologies, together with mobile phone networks or internet streaming to facilitate, enhance and extend seamless or blended learning [1]. The advantages enable the students to study round the clock in remote locations or on the move, breaking the boundaries of a traditional classroom, encouraging them to use mobile learning for self-study or as an auxiliary classroom tool, thus, leading to higher involvement increased motivation.

The goal of the present on-going research is to investigate and classify mobile and web-based applications relevant to teach grammar at tertiary level.
The theoretical research framework considers the application of behaviourism and web-constructivism principles in the mobile learning environment. The empirical research method is an exploratory case study, which presupposes a description of factors, causes and alternative options for a solution of a specific problem in contrast to conclusive studies which identifies the ultimate solution to an existing research problem [2,3].

The research unfolds by selecting 50 applications for analysis, elaborating on the classification criteria and functionality of mobile apps, considering their relevance for deductive and inductive grammar instruction. The preliminary screening of mobile apps available at Google Play revealed that the majority of them possess predefined content (e.g. rules and exercises) not compliant with the requirements of English Philology Bachelor Study programme developing English language proficiency at B2-C1 Common European Framework for Reference. Even the mobile solutions aimed at advanced learners did not correspond to CEFR C1 descriptors. Therefore, a more focused deskwork research involving credible online teachers' communities was performed. In order to be used at the tertiary level the selected web-based and mobile solutions have to contain the features to enable the teachers to generate customised materials.

Despite the abundance of freeware and paid mobile solutions for grammar teaching, a limited amount of solutions is relevant to be used at tertiary level. The obtained results present mobile and web-based solution classification criteria, describe functionality features, emphasising the limitations resulting in scarce choice of task types for teaching grammar at tertiary level. The final stage involved administering 100 students' questionnaires using surveymonkey.com tool. Apart from the methodological framework, app functionality influencing task types, customised content as well as privacy and data protection of learners significant for the teachers, such factors as user interface, feedback form, visualisation and statistics collection options important for the students should be taken into account when deciding to use mobile applications to teach grammar at tertiary level.

References:
[1] L. Brown, “Using mobile learning to teach reading to ninth-grade students”, Journal of Computing Teachers, Fall, 2009.
[2] M. Saunders, P. Lewis, A. Thornhill, “Research Methods for Business Students”, Pearson Education Limited, 2012.
[3] K. Singh, “Quantitative Social Research Methods” SAGE Publications, 2007.

Keywords:

Mobile learning, web-based solutions, teaching grammar, tertiary level, task types, deductive and inductive instruction.